Winter Wanderers
by smokingace
Summary: The Loveless crew enjoy their wintry escapades.


**Title:** Winter Wanderers

**Fandom:** Loveless

**Author:** su-dama/tempusfugit3

**Pairing:** Soubi+Ritsuka, Kio+Soubi, accidental Ritsuka+Yuiko, Yuiko+Ritsuka, Shinonome Hitomi

**Warning:** As the fandom is such, there is implicit boy!love and all that sweetness; no real timeline.

**Genre:** fluff/holidayish/wryness/humor/philosophical

**Rating:** PG

**Words: **3690

**Disclaimer:** Kouga Yun, not I.

**Author's Note:** Hohoho! Jolly good. Here's a bit of chilled holiday cheer, right on your plate. Maybe I've got some sprinkles for you, too. Never know. Happy Holidays/Happy Christmas!

_For deadinside24 (on LJ). May you cherish Loveless. _

**Winter Wanderers**

**-----**

Agatsuma Soubi knew; he just _knew_ what Ritsuka would do in order to sneak over to his place. That made his wait a little fun, contemplating it and thinking, _Ritsuka, I can get rid of her anytime. Just say the word_… And he put out his cigarette for another, like he would always do on such daily happenings.

The cigarette was his best friend. It would stay with Soubi longer than Ritsuka would agree to. Longer than Kio, even?

The snow had started this day, this afternoon. How pleasing, how pleasant. He desired to paint within an instant, but staved it off because…his Sacrifice was coming over. But snow was something soporific; the art of it, the purity and the birth…

Well, surely Soubi held more control, and he flaunted it on more than one occasion.

Ritsuka was at his door, and Kio, his other best friend, was nowhere to be seen. Good Gloriousness. A curled smile appeared on his face, and he let the young cat-boy in.

Almost immediately there was the urge to make Ritsuka's life better for the both of them.

"That's it, _I'll kill her_," Soubi growled, and even prepared to rip his fashionable trench coat off the hook nearby.

"Don't bother, _please_. She's sleeping now." The boy then walked in, stoic, trying to act as if nothing had gone wrong at home for the…

"If not, I've more bandages. The cold—you should wear more layers."

A cut across his lip, where there must have been _impact_… By a hand? By an object?

Murderous intent.

Soubi dragged his Sacrifice into his overwhelming hug. Overwhelming for its size and grandeur and traces of love, sincere or perforce. It was a hope for Ritsuka to let the coddling go. Soubi needed this; the boy needed it whether he realized it or not.

Ritsuka was grumbling something…like a baby testing its vocal chords.

"All right?" Soubi ventured.

"I'm warm now, thanks…"

Soubi's large fingers took to petting those blackish cat ears, embedding some sort of further-calming spell into the follicles.

He got the feeling Ritsuka was going to mention the cigarettes again; the boy doted on him from time to time, letting Soubi know just what he should do to be healthy, wealthy, or wise. He sometimes gripped Soubi's wrist, in tacit understanding, or he gave this certain facial expression that warranted attention, or that…silent love that was never enough, packed away in Ritsuka's universe.

Ritsuka wasn't smiling.

"I'll get you some hot food. I bet you want McDonald's." How detestable, but boys will be boys and this one was a sure thing for fast-food. And Soubi felt too lazy to cook; most troublesome.

"Sounds great…"

Soubi held him as Ritsuka sobbed quietly to himself into Soubi's jumper, making it damp and snotty but who cared when Soubi was able to provide this much for the young, young man.

-----

Winter… What a wet season, place, previous inconvenience…welcomed now.

Kio knocked and sighed and called out and finally unlocked the door himself. He was probably thinking that Soubi had deliberately ignored him…and he was right. Soubi was ignoring him, but for a very well-established reason. It was cushy.

Dear Ritsuka was smiling and stuffing his face with his double cheeseburger, making _mmm_ noises so Soubi would know that the money and food and accommodations were greatly appreciated.

How pleasing, how pleasant.

But in Kio's point of view, he was seeing one college student who was gazing and leaning on his elbow on the table toward another male, elementary age, who was chomping on a meal that wasn't even super-sized or oozing with toppings. The scene made him scratch his head.

"You _two_," bright blond Kio began, sticking his nose in the air, "never cease to amaze me."

Plus, Ritsuka had cherry cheeks and watery eyes. And Soubi, turning around, looked as if he'd just had a kid who'd grasped his finger on its birthday, delighted in somberness.

With that in mind, Kio remembered to smile back. "Yo." Shaky insides, though.

Ritsuka swallowed his big gulp and chirped, "Bring something?"

Because Kio had received a call from Soubi for some holiday cheer and Kio had thought of one thing that would glue their broken pieces back together.

"Yup! Christmas cake! Now, don't go stuffing your face more than you have to, kid."

Ritsuka could have thrown up, but instead he cheered, "Cakie, cakie!"

"You've got him all riled up, Kio," Soubi _hmm_'d.

"Gets his blood going, you know. You call, I answer. There ya go." He passed the grocery bag of treats to the object of his affection. The silken-haired masochist was anything but rejecting. Or resisting. Irresistible, but that's getting off subject.

"I like cake once in a while..."

"'Course you do, Sou. You're sane that way. I'm also going through sugar withdrawal, so I'll need some o' that while you're at it. Rit-boy, finish so you can have the biggest slice you want. Or I'll take it," he added teasingly, grinning toothily and shrugging off his speckled winter jacket. He didn't see _Rit-boy_'s brief eyeful-mouthful of indignity.

As Ritsuka was finishing off his meal while fawning over the cake-to-be-gobbled, (it was actually pretty shiny with the icing and design and obvious thick jelly layers), Kio motioned Soubi to the side with one come-hither index finger, adjusting to the cozy warmth in the room. He slipped off his shoes, guarded.

"Sou."

"Hmm? Oh, Kio, use the hook, that's what it's there for…" Soubi went to pick up the jacket that had been tossed to the floor.

"Yeah, oops. Other than that, what's up? You sounded irksome over the phone…" Kio responded in an undertone.

"Sorry. _Ritsuka's being abused again_." Whisper, whisper… Soubi was checking over his shoulder to ensure they were free from prying ears. Not that Ritsuka didn't know his own business… It's just that Ritsuka possibly did not want much of his business advertized.

"I thought it happens on a regular basis?"

"It does. That's the problem."

"…Do you only see it as a problem because he's your…?"

"_No_."

"Fine, fine." Kio shook his head in absolute sympathy.

Soubi tucked a strand behind his ear as his hair was set in a ponytail, so casual yet graceful, elegant. Kio watched and smelt the smoke on the sophisticate jumper.

Kio got busy with loosening his collar and tie.

"Where were you earlier?" Kio was asked.

"I—uh—went to see them…"

_Them_.

"Your ex, your daughter…" Soubi suggested. It was plain; clear as can be.

"Yeah. She's…grown up. Kinda sad, when I think about it…"

"Okay, Kio, don't think about it. You need some sugar. Come on."

And Soubi engulfed Kio's hand with a heartfelt tug, Soubi slightly taller and paler and more beautiful of the pair that it was almost sickening. However, Kio tended to share that beauty when around him, like an insect siphoning it out.

Kio didn't feel like diving into depression, so he assented and joined them for dessert. Rit-boy giggled despite himself (of which Kio could tell) when he was tickled in the chest.

It wasn't that bad being with them like this. It hardly mattered that Soubi and Ritsuka had this unexplainable taboo relationship; it definitely did not matter that Kio had a child at home in his hometown, or that she was growing up. _Kids grow up._ Your own children will grow up.

They're supposed to; they cannot defy nature.

Or can they?

-----

They were about to embark on a wonderful snowy adventure outside the following day, on the white turf that was akin to tufts of cotton, only thicker and heavier. No, maybe it was just like cotton candy. Only not so sugary and…less sticky.

Hm-hm-hm.

"Ready?" Kio said, smiling deviously and holding out the Big Bad Parka he had teased Ritsuka with all late morning.

"No way," Ritsuka groaned, crossing his arms to mean it.

"Yes way. Put it on, it won't hurt."

"Apparently. That thing is a marshmallow!"

"Yes, yes, that is the point."

"No way, Kio." And Ritsuka could be ornery. This was one example, and he wasn't about to let that loopy lollipop man who always seemed to have a reinforced opinion persuade him into that…mistake. Ritsuka wasn't fashionable. Edit: Ritsuka cared about what he wore. Kio would have to pistol-whip him on the head just to get that puffed-up blue marshmallow on the boy.

"Kio…" Soubi warned from off to the side, surveying the interaction. Soubi was dressed rather nicely for such a simple trip to the local field. See, Soubi cared, too.

"Sou, I'm being responsible here. The kid can't go outside in that flimsy thing. Look, it's like paper."

"No it's not!" Ritsuka disputed. And in a small voice: _You're not my father…_

"Don't fight back, kid, you don't know what's good for you."

A smoldering glare from Ritsuka's deep violet eyes.

"Err...don't try intimidating me, either. It won't work, I'm immune."

Ritsuka turned his face away, arms still crossed and childishly spiteful.

Yes, there was no forgetting…that Ritsuka was just a child.

"Rit', I wore this only a few years ago. Since it doesn't fit my daughter, please wear it. It'll make you feel all nice and squishy."

"Kio, I believe your vocabulary is quite manipulative. I applaud you." Soubi got up from the chair he'd been lounging in, unconsciously swinging his lean hips.

Although his enticing smoker friend had no right to open his mouth, Kio could see why he did.

Ritsuka was considering his words anyway. Hello, Kio's dabbled in guilt-trips as a hobby.

"Oh…okay. I'll wear it, but only this once! We're going in public…_erk_."

"An empty field is not really that public." Kio held out the parka again for the boy to slip his arms into.

Soubi nor Ritsuka noticed the evil grin spread across Kio's face.

It wasn't Kio's fault; Soubi was the mastermind. Kio's just his accomplice.

They arrived at the field minutes later, treading and wading through inches of winter. A desolate tree out of nowhere was iced from tip to trunk in frost.

Wow, cold. It must have been sub-zero, but it was worth it, bonding like this…and in Ritsuka's words: _Making memories_.

That only meant the boy was obsessed with death, or life, or both. Most likely death, and that bothered Kio as Ritsuka waved for Soubi to pose by the tree.

"It's a sad tree! Soubi, pretend the tree is your friend."

"You gotta be kidding me, Rit'." Kio nudged him.

"Are you insulting me?" Ritsuka said, pulling a long face.

"No, go on. It's too cute, that's all."

Then Ritsuka's face blossomed into this long lost Wonder of the World. What a blush.

Kio went on, addressing Soubi now. "Sou, let me give you a bit of advice. Some photographers believe you should make love to the tree." He closed his eyes and made a show of contemplating this very important knowledge. He then squared his fingers into a camera's shape and shouted, "Make love to the tree, make love for the camera. You can do it! Give me charm!"

Soubi gave him a look of horror, glanced at the tree, glanced at Ritsuka—glowing red, the teen was—glanced at Kio, and seemed to shrug it off. Love for a tree—how easy it must be!

Soubi posed with the tree, indeed. One forward leg lifted against it, one arm akimbo to his hip, that stern grazing expression melting their actual eye lenses.

Kio fought his own rising blush, both blushers standing side by side, speechless.

Who would have thought Soubi would do it?

But the joke was on them as Soubi stepped away from the tree, out of his stance, and pursed his lips. "Kidding…" His _laughter_… "Kio, _you're_ the model… Don't be shy."

Ritsuka's thought process went something like this: _Erk, Soubi, tree, together, what, oh my gosh, Soubi, how embarrassing, tree, making love, erk, ugh, what, seriously…Soubi, you faker!_

Kio's thoughts were much worse and thus they are not featured here. Thank you very much.

But Ritsuka was reading his thoughts anyway all too well.

-----

Yuiko was to have some fun today, and where was she to have it?

With Ritsuka, truly! Her cutest and still weirdest friend yet. She was going to have a _great_ day. Great days entailed the loveliest things of all… Season's greetings, friendships, those tiny gestures…like being called by Soubi to _hurry, come to the field near my apartment to play in the snow_—_Ritsuka's with us_. Snowmen! Snowballs! Snow-white Land!

So she was hurrying her little feet, her chest bouncing along as she jogged in a spirited skip. She decided her marshmallow coat wasn't that conspicuous minutes after leaving the house, and this left Yuiko smiling with plenty of cause. Oopsy, bad ice, bad! She patted her bum.

She had to half-lie to her parents; Mommy and Daddy would be a-okay.

Half-lies don't hurt those who do not know better…yeah? At least, she hoped. Ritsuka might call her on that.

She liked the breeze that lifted her pink strands. Daisies, daisies… Now she thought about springtime, but winter would stay here meanwhile, making her feel comforted to be indoors when it would freeze over with abandon out in her yard.

"Oh Mr. Soubi!" Yuiko giggled, waving on her tippy-toes when she'd gotten close enough.

Oddly, Soubi had not started the snowman without her. What? Soubi was her dear adult friend, and he promised her a snowman! This wasn't odd. Woo-hoo!

Nor was it odd that her dark-haired classmate was being trapped by the older man. Woo…hoo.

Evidence of weird-dom; she didn't fret.

Soubi had raised himself away from Ritsuka in the sparkly snow-pile, sticking up his arm and giving her a peace sign with a gloved hand.

She rushed over, nearly tripping over her chiq water-proof boots.

"Good afternoon, Yuiko," Soubi greeted.

"_Yuiko!_ I didn't know you were coming!" Ritsuka gasped, although light-heartedly, gathering up a snowball already.

"Uh huh! It's a surprise! We'll have fun, Ritsuka, won't we?"

"Yeah we will!" It was so sly. He tossed a premature ball into her face, snickering to himself.

"Aw, Rit-boy, that wasn't nice…" Kio pretended, starting to scoop up armfuls of wet stuff. He gave her a lopsided grin that implied a challenge. "Hello, hello, Yu-girl. Pleased to meet you again."

Ritsuka rolled his eyes, vigilant of tall Yuiko's reaction.

Which was hyper-active, to put it blandly. It was in her nature; she couldn't help it!

"War!" she shouted, dramatically swinging out her arms to claim Soubi before anyone else could. "Run, run! Let's go, let's go! We have to build a bank, and we have to make huge snowballs, and we have to make them hurt!"

"War declared!" Kio called after her, grabbing Ritsuka and pushing him behind the pile already there, the run blowing off her hoodie and whipping her pigtails every which way as male and female retreated.

"My, Yuiko, you're feisty!" But Soubi was all about the group love and perhaps a portion of that was dedicated to Yuiko, for wasn't this adult her good friend, too? He scurried with her over to a clump of towering grass saturated with winter's magic, merry to pile up the snow for defense.

"I want to get Ritsuka back, Soubi!"

"We'll get him back together, don't you worry."

He could have been her twelve-year-old classmate.

-----

An unsurprising time came when Kio and Ritsuka were unfortunately defeated and had to suck up said defeat. Ritsuka blamed Kio, though Kio blamed Ritsuka.

But they were happy to have frozen faces and sweaty limbs inside their either mushy or refined coats.

The season cursed their legs numb.

"Yuiko wins!" Yuiko shrieked gleefully, jumping all over the place and practically jumping on Soubi in the process.

Well, she did. Sent him to the ground, in fact. Oy.

Ritsuka would not admit to himself that there was any sort of jealousy involved on his part. Nope. No jealousy. Concern?

On the other hand, Kio caught on rather quickly, most likely knowing everything under the clouded sun. Darn him and his sharp intuition.

He and Yuiko…

Essentially, Yuiko was going to be quite the woman when she finally grew up, but while she was so young, it was inappropriate for Yuiko and Soubi to be getting along so well.

Concern… It was justifiable concern.

"Hey," Ritsuka simply said.

Soubi was brushing off the snow from his chin, peeling wet sandy hair from his temples. Yuiko was gathering herself and issuing a snowman-building race. She was mid-way through opening her mouth that had this glittery gloss over it—

"Yes, Ritsuka?"

"Let's do the snowman together."

"_Yes!_ I mean—_yay!_" She was back to jumping with joy.

Soubi arched an eyebrow and Kio _boo ya_'d over it.

"Kio probably fails at snowmen" was Ritsuka's momentary complaint, one that Kio snapped _Mind your elders_ to.

Ritsuka had given snide remarks to many over the past two years. He wasn't trying to be snide right now.

…Where was Yayoi…?

His cat ear twitched as his Fighter rubbed against him to become Kio's partner. The passing thought of this theme literally made his other ear twitch in succession.

Concern, not jealousy.

Likewise, Soubi wore such an _I-prithee_ expression that it made the boy wonder what he was imagining.

The attention he was giving Soubi suddenly got the worst of him, moreover, and Ritsuka somehow ended up walking head-on into the girl while she was unreasonably bending slightly to pick up more snow. What Kio and Soubi witnessed would go down in history. Legends rule.

Yuiko got her wish: Ritsuka's lips were on hers, technically, and he was on top of her. _Whoa._

Okay. Ritsuka never intended it. He did not ever count on flooring Yuiko, his best friend, in any way mentionable.

There's that one word… It's a very good word… He couldn't think!

"R-Rit…su…ka?" she was stuttering, blinking madly. _Accident_—that's the word! Kudos, Ritsuka.

He immediately removed himself, flailing, flushed to his collar, almost growing beside himself. He launched off her midriff.

"_I'm so sorry, Yuiko!_"

Albeit, there was a hefty amount of laughter going on behind them.

"Oh Ritsuka, that was priceless!"

"Hahaha, I cannot believe it…!"

"Impressive motor skills!"

"_Is it Valentine's Day already?_"

Most of it seemed to be originating from the lollipop licker, but Soubi was giving his two cents as well; the Valentine thing. It was not even past December yet!

Ritsuka would never forgive them for putting him on the spot like that. Then again, he brought it on himself. He wanted to grieve for his loss of pride. He reeled.

Then Soubi did something that would soon deserve brownie points—once the boy came to understand the gesture. Yuiko had stood up, bashful…and Yuiko was getting kissed by Soubi. On the cheek, of course, and chastely (what Ritsuka wanted to believe). The equation did not compute.

Um, didn't Soubi have a penchant for manipulation? For handling people younger than him?

The college man had tapped her nose a few times playfully, pinched it between two knuckles, and then pecked the apple of her cheek. Was…Yuiko going to spontaneously combust?

She was.

Soubi explained for Ritsuka's error. "It's just a kiss. It seals a friendship…" That line…

Next came Kio, quick, verging on Yuiko in order to mimic Soubi's actions; his were different by the unique way he ruffled her bangs, as if she was precious. Edit: _As_ she was precious.

Ritsuka couldn't see the look on his face.

After all kisses were accomplished, the girl left no room for questions.

"Why are you so sweet to Yuiko!? _Awah—!_"

-----

Soubi treated the kids to ice cream after they'd raced and before Yuiko had to rush home for curfew. Ritsuka chose mint; tear-streaked Yuiko chose strawberry sorbet.

"Yummy!" she boasted.

"Yummy," Soubi encouraged, pocketing his Yen. He licked his own cone. Wasn't like him to eat ice cream during winter, but he had been fancying these memories. As they say, caught up in the moment…

"It would have been more suiting for snow-cones, huh?" Kio pondered aimlessly, not having bought a cone for himself. He had the usual sucker at the corner of his mouth. Soubi would give him a candy cane later, along with a friendship seal…

"I'm tired of snow for the day, Kio."

"Same here."

"Not here!" Yuiko chirped at their front, an early streak of strawberry on her face. Ritsuka pointed to it, then wiped it off for her.

"Lovebirds."

"Kio, don't say such things…"

"Blind, you are."

"Kio…"

"Sou, my friend, don't feel left out. We can be lovebirds, too!"

"Unnecessary, thank you."

Ritsuka turned his head sideways to frown at them.

"Told you, Kio."

"Told me nuttin'." Soubi had the fluttering memory of Shinonome, and her tears. How...pleasing, how...

-----

The walk from the shop to Soubi's apartment was relatively uneventful.

"I will have to leave, too, Soubi. I should go with Yuiko…" Ritsuka reminded him, rubbing at his chapped mouth.

"_Have a dreamy sleep, little one_," Kio sang from his perch on the railing.

Soubi ignored him and unlocked his door. "Please avoid your mother, Ritsuka."

"I know the drill."

"I'm very serious…"

They passed each other significant looks, signals cross-firing.

"Mr. Soubi, I'll protect Ritsuka. I can do anything for him."

His heart beat against bone.

Soubi eyed her, judging, and tilted his head at Yuiko's statement, appraising her like a disguised hierophant over his rounded glasses. The boy prompted himself to feel disgusted toward his Fighter Unit's decorum, but…

Soubi nodded ruefully. "_You can do anything for him_."

Ritsuka's heart beat against his ribcage, utter thunder.

To his chagrin—and pinch of humble-pie—Yuiko held his hand on the way to his house, to his abusive mother, neglectful father, and absent brother.

It snowed crystals.

-----

_To Hitomi!_

_I think I know why I love Ritsuka now…☺_

_I also think I know why you love Mr. Soubi._

_From Yuiko!_

-----

_Dearest Yuiko,_

_Your spelling has gotten so much better over the year. I'm proud of you!_

_As for Ritsuka, I hope you'll love him forever._

_And as for Agatsuma… I think I've realized it myself. His words are powerful._

_With love,_

_Hitomi_

-----


End file.
